1001 Adai ( South Indian Pancakes)

Adai, (Savoury south Indian pancakes) is commonly eaten throughout Tamilnadu. These thick savoury pancakes are easy to make. Soak a cereal like rice/ wheat or pulses like chana dal / tuvar dal or a mixture of both. Grind them to a thick batter with some coconut, green chili and salt. Spread into thick pancakes on a hot skillet and cook till they are golden – your Adai is ready. A variety of flavourings and additives can be added to this batter, giving us numerous variations of Adai.

Any cereal / pulses can soaked, ground up and used to make Adai. However, Some pulses like red kidney beans (rajma) are toxic when uncooked and should always be cooked.

The Base: See column 1
A cereal alone can be used to make Adai like the Rice Adai.

A mixture of rice and lentils is used for the common Adai.

Use sprouted lentils and we have the Mulai kattya adai.

Use cooked rice and we have the Cooked Rice Adai.

Use yogurt for soaking instead of water and you get Yogurt adai.

A mixture of cereals and pulses can be used to make a cereal - lentil Adai

Finger millet is used to make the Ragi Adai.

Use semolina in place of a cereal and gram flour in place of a pulse and you have the instant Adai, the Rava Adai.

A pulse or a mixture of pulses can be used to make the Lentil Adai (Paruppu Adai).

Flavouring: See column 2
A wide variety of stuff can be used to flavour Adai. Ginger, garlic, curry leaves, red chilies & turmeric are commonly used. You can try any of your favourite flavouring agents in place of traditional ones. Though not traditionally cooked, you can try experiment with Rosemary / Sage / Oregano / Thyme or other herbs.

Additives: See column 3
A variety of additives as listed in column 3 can be mixed in the batter. Shallots, spinach, green chili, herbs are commonly used. Try experimenting by adding chopped nuts or any other edibles to cook your own adais.

And this goes to the Well Seasoned cook's Pancakes on Parade

1001 Instant Uttappams ( South Indian Pancakes)

Uttappams are south Indian pancakes, normally made from a fermented batter of rice and urad dal. Unlike a regular uttappam, which takes over a day to prepare, instant uttappams can be cooked in 10 minutes flat. Just mix a variety of flours and water to make a batter, add some baking powder to leaven , cook into a thick disc and your uttappam is ready.

By varying the base, additives and toppings, we can cook up hundreds of instant uttappams.

Change base :
A variety of flours can be used to make instant uttappams, but some flours like ragi / millet flour are not very easy to work with. It is for this reason they are combined with wheat flour. Once you gain confidence, you can gradually reduce the amount of wheat flour used.

Additives
A variety of additives from cumin to jaggery is used to spice up instant uttappams. Just mix them in along with the batter.

Topping
Though they taste great without any topping, a variety of toppings ranging from plain butter to chopped sausages can be used.

And this goes to the Well Seasoned cook's Pancakes on Parade

10 Simple Khoja Muslim Recipes

I found the story of Khojas and their conversion to Islam fascinating. From Sindh, the conversion spread to Kutch, through Kathiawar and later to Mumbai. Khoja cuisine, though built around meat, respects the local beliefs and does not include beef. Khojas still retain a large dose of Hindu culture, traditions and beliefs. Their funeral customs involve the sprinkling of holy water to the reading of Das-Avatar, written by the Persian missionary, Hajji Saiyid Sadr al-Din who successfully presented Islam to Hindus in form that appealed to their beliefs and traditions, even making Imam Ali, the Prophet’s son-in-law, the tenth Avatar of Vishnu !

This cookbook lists 10 simple vegetarian Khoja recipes. All these recipes in this cookbook are eaten with a variety of pulao, biriyani, naan and rotis. They are greatly simplified so that a first time cook can easily cook them. For detailed recipes, check out Fateema Hooda’s Khoja Khana.

The following recipes are listed in this cookbook.
1.: Batate Ka Salan ( Potato Tomato Curry) Unlike Mogul cuisine, Khoja cuisine uses fried mustard and curry leaves as flavouring, as this curry demonstrates.

2.: Guvar Batata (Cluster Beans - Potato - Tomato curry) is cluster beans, potato and tomato cooked with spices and flavoured by the famous Hara Masala.

3.: Turiya Vatana (Ridge Gourd, Peas & Tomato curry ) is a mix of vegetables flavoured with coriander, cumin , turmeric and Hara Masala.

4.: Kanda Batata (Onion, Potato, Tomato curry) is another combination of vegetables with similar flavouring as above.

5.: Baingan Batata: (Eggplant, Potato Tomato Curry) marries eggplant with potatoes, a combination which is not very common.

6.: Sing Vatana Batata (Drumstick- potato- peas curry) uses drumstick, which is almost never used in Mogul cuisine.

7.: Kachumbar (Vegetable Salad) is an easily prepared salad, eaten with both rice and rotis.

8.: Mint chutney is a blend of mint, coriander and coconut.

9.:. Baingan Ka Bharta is the much loved, grilled and mashed eggplant curry.

10.: Dahi ki Kadi (Yogurt Curry) is yogurt simmered with gram flour and spices. I've modified the original recipe to include Hara masala, which packs quite a punch!

10 Simple Kodava Recipes

This cookbook lists 10 Coorgi recipes, greatly simplified so that a first time cook can easily cook them. There are just a handful of Coorgi recipes available on the net, which is a pity, as this delightfully unique cuisine deserves to be more widely known. For detailed recipes, check out Muthamma’s ‘The essential Kodava Cuisine’, published by Penguin India.

1.: Inji Pachchadi (Ginger- Yogurt curry) Coconut, ginger, jaggery and salt is blended together, mildly cooked and mixed in with yogurt.

2.: Ellu Pajji (Sesame chutney): Thick paste). Served mainly with Akki roti / dosa, this is just roasted sesame seeds blended to a paste with coconut, green chilies and tamarind.

3.: Tomato Pachadi (Tomato Chutney ) is just tomato raita flavoured with the typical Coorgi flavouring of coconut, green chili, mustard, garlic and salt blended together.

4.: Kummu Kari (Mushroom curry) is usually made from black jungle mushrooms

5.: Toppu Kari (Dry Spinach curry ) is just stir fried spinach.

6.: Boodi Kumbala Mor Kanni is boiled Ash gourd flavoured by coconut, cumin and mustard paste, (which is briefly cooked) and mixed in with yogurt..

7.: Kootu Kari (Mixed vegetable curry ) is boiled, mixed vegetables cooked with spices and coconut paste into a thick gravy.

8.: Chekke Kari (Raw Jack fruit sour curry) . Like Kerala, Baby jackfruit is a much loved vegetable (another specialty vegetable , like the North East is fermented Bamboo shoots) which is boiled along with tuvar dal and cooked with spices and tamarind.

9.:. Mudre Kanni (Horse gram gravy) . Similar to the Ulava Charu of Andhra, horse gram stock is cooked with spices into a soupy gravy.

10.: Togay (Tuvar dal coconut curry)is boiled tuvar dal flavoured by coconut, cumin and garlic paste. Like many Coorgi curries, it is garnished with fried mustard, red chili and curry leaves.

1001 Tamarind stews

1001 Tamarind based Sour stews:

This entry is for Sig's JFI- Tamarind.

Kulambus and Sambars are two major classes of tamarind stews consumed in the South. A Kulambu is a plain tamarind stew and a Sambar is basically a Kulambu with boiled dal thrown in. In sambars the sourness of tamarind is balanced by the dal. In kulambus we use jaggery to regain this balance.

By changing the base, flavouring and goodies, we can cook up innumerable stews.

The Base :
Change the base and new classes of stews listed in Column 1 appear.

0.: Puli Kulambu is the simplest Tamarind stew cooked with just tamarind, jaggery, flavouring and a vegetable.

1.: Thakkali Kulambu uses tomato puree for an additional punch.

2.: Thenga pal kulambu is a mild kulambu using coconut milk with tamarind. Coconut milk is added at the very end and is to be cooked as little as possible on low heat with constant stirring so that the coconut milk does not curdle.

3.: Iru Puli Kulambu or twice sour stew, uses both tamarind and yogurt.

4.: Kara Kulambu uses a puree of stir fried onions, tomatoes, garlic and coconut for an extra rich stew.

5.: Common Sambar is cooked with tamarind and boiled tuvar dal

6.: Pasi Paruppu Sambar uses mung dal in place of tuvar dal.

7.: Iru Puli Sambar uses both tamarind and yogurt along with tuvar dal.

8.: Iru Paruppu Sambar uses both tuvar dal and mung dal along with tamarind.

9.: Chettinad Sambar is a sambar on steroids using a puree of stir fried onions, tomatoes, garlic and coconut.

Change the flavouring style and new classes of stews spring up. Column 2 summarises these changes.

Change goodies used and more stews appear. Use sun dried veggies and you have Vatral kulambu. Use a mix of boiled pulses and you have Kadalai kulambu. Use steamed lentil balls and you get Paruppu urundai kulambu. Column 3 lists these variations.

It took me quite a while to realize that Kulambu & Sambars are universal solutions, not just local recipes. For example, Vatral Kulambu is about converting dried goodies into a tasty stew. The genius of this solution is that it is not limited to local stuff. As it is universal, it can handle any dried foodstuff with ease. Every culture has its own dried foodstuff and almost all of them can be turned into delicious sour stews. Vatral kulambus can gracefully accommodate a huge variety of dried goodies – from the Sangriya, Ker or Gunda of Rajasthan to the dried shitake / porcini mushrooms or sea weeds of the Far East or even the dehydrated fruits / dried meats of the west.

Similarly, feel free to experiment with other goodies by using locally available vegetables, pulses and fruits.

‘Safe’ Tamarind Stews
The strong flavourings that South Indian cuisine uses has caused quite a few embarrassing incidents in the kitchens, office and school cafetaria’s abroad. (My brother in law was politely asked to have his lunch in the privacy of his cubicle and my nephew refuses to pack in a traditional lunch, dismissing it with what his friends comment -“Yucky”) - and everyone is familiar with the problems of trying to sell a house with a ‘smelly’ Indian kitchen. This is not demeaning or insulting as it stems from ignorance – it is no different from my grandma turning away in disgust after smelling parmesan cheese.

On the other hand, I’ve had the pleasure of introducing South Indian cuisine to people from all over the world and have watched many go bonkers over it. It is not easy to appreciate a thousand year old cuisine, without putting in a little effort to understand it. For the uninitiated, we need to alter the flavouring and souring agents so as not to cause a ‘cuisine shock’. ‘Strange’ local spices need to be replaced by ‘safe’ spices familiar to your guests.

Red chillies can be replaced by the milder paprika or black pepper, Asafetida by onion- garlic powder, Black mustard by brown mustard, Coriander seeds by cumin and tamarind by tomato/sour cream/ yogurt. Traditional sesame oil can be replaced with oils familiar to your guests. ‘Strange’ vegetables like sundakkai can be avoided. When you have a doubt with your guest’s familiarity with an ingredient, it is usually better to replace it with a safer alternative.

When cooking for newbies to South Indian cuisine, I do the following:

1. Tell my guests exactly what to expect – “I’m cooking up a sweet and sour stew from coconut milk and tamarind” and not “I’m cooking up a Tamil delicacy – Thengapal Kulambu”.

2. Avoid strong flavourings like asafetida, turmeric, chili powder & sambar powder and use milder alternatives.

3. Let my guests handle the spices, smell them and even taste them. I talk about each of the spices and the reason why it is used. I do the same with vegetables my guests might not have encountered earlier.

Once you’ve let your guests taste a ‘safe’ kulambu, it is easy to let them work their way up to traditional kulambus.

Flavouring
Each cuisine has its own set of spices. In addition to the traditional spices we use for flavouring you can try experimenting with various spices.
Allspice which tastes like a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg can be used in masala kulambus. Vanilla bean can be used for mild kulambus like thengapal kulambu. You can add subtle flavoring by garnishing kulambus with a variety of herbs like rosemary or dill. Or experiment with a variety of European herbs like Marjoram, Oregano, Sage, Tarragon, and Thyme. To be safe, add these added towards end of cooking as delicate herbs lose their flavour on overcooking.

Thickeners
Traditionally only rice flour or gram flour (besan) are used to thicken sour stews. However, you can experiment with a variety of thickeners like Lotus root flour, Sago starch, Arrowroot flour, Corn flour, Okra powder or Tapioca flour. Dissolve a pinch of these thickeners in a spoon of water and add it towards the end of cooking.Each would vary the texture of the stew differently.

Sweeteners
Instead of jaggery as a sweetener you can use Panai vellam ( Palm Jaggery), Karupatti, Brown sugar , Molasses, Honey, or just about anything sweet. Each will yield you a sour stew with a subtly different taste.

Goodies
Each region has its share of local fresh and dried goodies. Almost all of these can be turned into delicious sour stews. Embark on a voyage of discovery, visit the local markets, buy stuff you have never tasted before and turn them into stews never cooked before.

With these innumerable variations, you can cook up a different sour stew for every day of your life and still would not have scratched the surface.

10 simple 'Less is More' South Indian recipes

Nupur’s Less is More, is one of the rare events which force you to think out of the box. I found the challenge of cooking up a variety of recipes with 5 or less ingredients compelling.

This One page cookbook lists 10 simple South Indian recipes I’ve cooked from fellow bloggers, , modifying them to use 5 ingredients or less. It is greatly simplified so that a first time cook can easily cook them. In all these recipes I’ve made minor replacements and modifications. For original recipes and variations, check out the sources below.

1.: Yogurt The best loved ‘ recipe’ is the yogurt. Yogurt mixed with cooked rice is consumed at the end of a meal across south India. Not a ‘cooked’ recipe? Why not? Milk is warmed and cooked by bacteria overnight. And like any recipe, 'cooking' up yogurt takes skill.

2.: Thenga Thogayal ( Blended Coconut- Tamarind curry) If you can operate a blender, you won’t go wrong with this one.

3.: Thambuli (Raw Coconut- Yogurt blended curry) , much loved in Karnataka and the Konkan coast usually uses green chilies, which I’ve replaced with red chilies.

4.: Thenga Milaga Podi (Tamarind – coconut - chili powder) , a dry powder popular across South India, is a blend of roasted coconut, red chilies and tamarind. Roasted pulses can also be blended together for a crunchier texture.

5.: Kandi Podi (Lentil - chili powder) is just roasted tuvar dal blended to a powder with red chili and salt. A variety of pulses like urad dal / chana dal can be used in place of or in addition to tuvar dal to create a range of Podis.

6.: Kobbari Pachadi (Coconut – chili blended curry) Coconut blended with chili and salt is a much loved blended curry. Variants call for the addition of a bit of tamarind, onions, garlic clove , roasted peanuts or cooked gram (pottu kadalai / Bhuna chana) which are blended along with coconut.

7.: Paruppu ( Plain boiled lentils) – the simplest dal of them all. Plain tuvar dal/ mung dal is boiled with a dash of turmeric powder and eaten mixed with hot rice and ghee at the start of a meal. Most Brahmin kids still grow up on ‘Pappu Mammu’. The original versions call for spicing up the dal. However, it tastes just great without any additives.

8.: Paruppu Podi (Spiced Lentil powder) Contrary to popular belief, a mix of lentils is not needed for Paruppu podi. Any roasted lentil or any mix of roasted lentils blended with red chili and coconut tastes delicious.

9.:. Paruppu Thogayal (Blended lentil Tamarind curry)
Paruppu Thogayal is just roast tuvar dal ground into a paste with coconut, tamarind red chilies and salt.

10 :. Kachiya Moru (Heated Buttermilk curry) is just yogurt thinned with water into buttermilk, which is blended with coconut, chilies, salt and heated. Overcooking causes the yougurt to split. So cook this as little as possible on low heat. The original recipe calls for multiple ingredients and no coconut. Have modified it to suit the event, and it turned out just fine !

North Eastern Meat & Fish cooking techniques

The North East uses a variety of cooking and fermenting techniques to handle fish and meat. Here are a few of them.

Wash small river fish, drain, let dry in sun for a day. Mix with coarsely chopped, young colocasia leaves and salt. Stuff into a dry bamboo hollow. Cover opening with foil and let ferment for a month.

Coat fish with seasoning, wrap in banana leaf to make a parcel and cook on a tava.

Cut pork into 1" cubes. Sprinkle salt. Grill over hot coals for 15 - 20 minutes.

Pack washed and drained, small river fish tightly in a dry air tight container. Let ferment in a dark place or a week. Refrigerate.

Stir in half a spoon of baking powder while cooking curries.

Mix pork and rice and pressure cook them together.

Grill pork cubes over charcoal, shred, mix with chili powder and dry bamboo shoots and pack in air tight containers. This stores for a few months.

Cut pork into 3" thick pieces. Sun dry for a week. Bottle. This keeps for an year. Sun it periodically to keep it fungus free. Heat it before serving.

Mix fish / chopped & semi boiled mutton / chicken / pork , mix with masalas, stuff in a bamboo hollow, seal open end with foil and grill over coals till bamboo is almost burnt.

Mix fish / chopped & semi boiled mutton / chicken / pork , mix masalas, wrap in banana leaf and cook on hot coals.

Bring water to boil. Add fish. Let cook. Add salt to taste and serve.

Take small river fish. Sprinkle salt and turmeric over them and deep fry.

Clean fish. Mix in salt, stuff into a clay pot, mix in mustard oil, seal and let ferment for three weeks.

Stuf vegetables and spices into bamboo hollow. Cook over hot coals.

1001 Raitas (Indian Yogurt dips)

Republishing 1001 Raitas for Siri's Frozen Yogurt event...

Anything edible mixed with yogurt would taste good' seems to be the logic behind raitas. Raitas can be prepared in a snap and can used as curry, sauce or dip.

Salad veggies like onion, carrot, cucumber, onion etc are chopped fine and mixed with yogurt to make basic raitas. Vegetables that can't be eaten raw are boiled / grilled/ fried and mixed with yogurt.
Almost enything edible can be and usually is mixed with yogurt to make an endless variety of raitas.

Model Recipes :
Meera's pomegranate Raita
Derek's Banana Raita
Freeland's Raita
Prav's Mixed Raita with great photos
Reshma's Cabbage Raita

The custom of using fried spices ( usually mustard in south India and cumin in North India) for flavouring is unique to Indian Raitas. Skip this flavouring and the raita becomes international and can be safely served to anyone across the world. The raita is now called Yogurt dip and is popular across almost all cuisines.

Though Indian raitas use plain yogurt, our access to world cuisine and advances in food processing have now expanded our choice of raitas.

Thick, strained yogurt, ( also called yogurt cheese) is not normally used in Indian cuisine is used as the base for many delicious yogurt dips across the world like the Turkish Haydari.

A variety of processed yogurt products like low fat yogurt, flavoured yogurt, custard yogurt, soy yogurt and yogurt made from goat/ camel/ mare milk are now found in many supermarket shelves. All these can be used to cook up raitas.

International 'Raitas'
Mix in grated garlic ,mint, olive oil and lemon juice to cucumber raita and you have the Greek Tzatziki.

Mix in grated garlic and black pepper to mint raita and you have Mint- yogurt dip popular in Middle east and Central Asia.

Mix in grated garlic, and lemon juice to mint raita and you have the Lebanese Yogurt dip

Mix in grated garlic, olive oil and crumbled feta cheese to onion raita and you have Turkey's Feta Yogurt dip.

Mix in grated garlic, lemon juice, tahini and salt to yogurt and you have the famous African 'raita' ZABAADI BIL-TAHIN